Ports cover dredging as federal money stalls

The first sand being dumped west of the 61st Street jetty to create new beaches between 61st and 81st streets. The sand is being hauled by boat from dredging operations in the Galveston Ship Channel to a barge offshore of the re-sanding operation. Pumps on the barge will suck the sand out of the boat and into a pipe that will carry it on to the beach. 09/04/15. (Photos by ÂKim Christensen) less

The first sand being dumped west of the 61st Street jetty to create new beaches between 61st and 81st streets. The sand is being hauled by boat from dredging operations in the Galveston Ship Channel to a barge ... more

Photo: ÂKim Christensen, Photographer

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The Port of Houston could benefit from a new steel distributor, the Lex Group, moving into the city.﻿

The Port of Houston could benefit from a new steel distributor, the Lex Group, moving into the city.﻿

Photo: Melissa Phillip, Staff

Ports cover dredging as federal money stalls

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When the Port of Houston Authority last year began to dredge its container terminals, at Bayport and Barbours Cut, the agency decided to fund the $80 million project itself rather than wait for federal funding.

Though U.S. waterways are meant to be maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers with federal funding, congressional appropriations for projects have stalled and dropped off. With the new, wider lane of the Panama Canal slated to open next spring, and the opportunity for larger container ships from Asia to reach the Gulf of Mexico and the East Coast, the Port Authority decided it couldn't wait.

Bloomberg reported Friday that other ports, and states, are dishing out their own cash to prepare ports for bigger ships as federal funding for U.S. waterway maintenance is at its lowest in a decade. At least four ports in Florida, Texas and Georgia have gone ahead with projects without federal funding, the news agency reported, citing concern over the federal deficit and gridlock in Congress.

The Port of Houston Authority completed dredging of its Barbours Cut container terminal to receive 45-foot-deep ships in September, and expects to finish dredging it Bayport terminal to the same depth next year. When the agency decided to fund the project, Congress had not passed an authorization bill for four year. Normally they authorize funding every two year.

As bigger ships begin to arrive through the Canal next year, ports can't afford to miss their opportunity to lure new customers.

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